Vitamin D screening and testing

Policy context

There are questions about the accuracy and usefulness of tests for Vitamin D levels, especially in healthy subjects. Assessing vitamin D levels may be useful to influence diagnostic or treatment decisions in some circumstances, though the usefulness of testing is uncertain in others.

Primary criteria ranking

• Safety = Low
• Efficacy = High
• Cost = High

Documents

• Draft key questions: comment and response
• Final key questions
• Draft evidence report: comment and response
• Final evidence report
• Final findings and decision

Background

Vitamin D is a nutrient critical to human health. Vitamin D levels are influenced by diet, exposure to sunlight (ultraviolet radiation) and some disease processes. Testing for vitamin D requires a blood draw and laboratory assessment of levels. Vitamin D status may be related to numerous risk factors, conditions, and diseases. Testing might be performed for a variety of concerns including vitamin D insufficiency, risk of poor bone health, presence of conditions resulting in malabsorption or altered metabolism, and suspected toxicity.